The present invention is related to document management systems for multifunction peripherals in general and more particularly to a method for printing from a thick client to a document management module.
A Document Distribution Module (DMM) provides users the ability to send documents to multiple destinations, including but not limited to faxes, e-mail, iSP DMM, Web Post, and print. Typically, the distribution is accomplished by two types of clients, a thick client (similar to a print driver) on Microsoft Windows platforms, and a thin client, browser based client, which may be based on any platform. This distribution normally a network-based document service appliance for image Service Platform appliance (or iSP) that is a document distribution solution with document management capabilities and device management support. The document management component enables users to quickly store and retrieve documents from a central repository. Device management is used to discover devices, monitor device availability and provide device status to the user and Administrator.
A problem with this type of architecture is that the user's identity is often lost when performing print jobs from the thick client. This is because while application is logged in the context as user, the print processor in creating the raw print data is logged in the context as the special Windows user “SYSTEM.” Because the print processor is loaded by Windows in the context of SYSTEM, the DMM or native driver used to send output from the client machine to the server machine, normally via a remote procedural call (“RPC call”) connects to the server as the user SYSTEM. Therefore, when the iSP server receives the job from the remote, (client) spooler, the actual user name is lost and the iSP server is unable to place documents in the user's inbox. Therefore, a need exists for a method for preserving user identification when sending print data from a remote (client) computer to an iSP server.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.